Haven Gillespie

James Lamont Gillespie (February 6, 1888 – March 14, 1975) pen name Haven Gillespie, was an American Tin Pan Alley composer and lyricist. He was the writer of "You Go to My Head", "Honey", "By the Sycamore Tree", "That Lucky Old Sun", "Breezin' Along With The Breeze", "Right or Wrong," "Beautiful Love", "Drifting and Dreaming", and "Louisiana Fairy Tale" (Fats Waller's recording of which was used as the first theme song in the PBS Production of This Old House), each song in collaboration with other people such as Beasley Smith, Ervin R. Schmidt, Richard A. Whiting, Wayne King, and Loyal Curtis. He also wrote the seasonal standard "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town".

Birth and Death Data: Born Covington, Died March 14, 1975 (Las Vegas)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1919 - 1950

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, songwriter, composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 51-75 of 210 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-023225 10-in. 5/13/1938 It's the little things that count Bon Bon ; Jan Savitt ; Top Hatters Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-023289 10-in. 5/26/1938 It's the little things that count Bunny Berigan Orchestra ; Ruth Gaylor Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-023489 10-in. 6/10/1938 Dream dust Connecticut Yankees ; Rudy Vallée Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-023760 10-in. 7/1/1938 There's honey on the moon tonight Fats Waller and his Rhythm Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-026645 10-in. 8/25/1938 You go to my head Carlotta Dale ; Jan Savitt ; Top Hatters Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-031242 10-in. 1/6/1939 Let's stop the clock Jeanne D'Arcy ; Johnny Messner ; Music Box Band Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-031882 10-in. 2/2/1939 Let's stop the clock Stuart Allen ; Richard Himber Rhythmic Pyramids Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-037125 10-in. 5/17/1939 Breezin' along with the breeze Smoothies Mixed vocal trio, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Victor BS-051551 10-in. 6/24/1940 You go to my head (Theme song of Mitchell Ayres) Mitchell Ayres ; Fashions-in-Music Jazz/dance band lyricist  
Victor PBS-061752 10-in. 10/24/1941 Santa Claus is comin' to town Alvino Rey Orchestra ; Four King Sisters Jazz/dance band, with female vocal quartet lyricist  
Victor BS-067785 10-in. 9/11/1941 Honey Ruth Gaylor ; Teddy Powell Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-068675 10-in. 12/18/1941 Seeing you again did me no good Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-068773 10-in. 12/30/1941 Seeing you again did me no good Tommy Ryan ; Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor E0VB-3216 10-in. 2/8/1950 God's country Phil Harris ; Walter Scharf Orchestra and Chorus Male vocal solo, with vocal chorus and instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Victor E0VB-5503 10-in. 8/21/1950 Santa Claus is coming to town Eddy Arnold Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Victor D5VB-1062 10-in. 6/9/1945 You go to my head Dorothy Allen ; Artie Shaw Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Victor D5VB-1118 10-in. 9/5/1945 Honey Russ Case Orchestra ; Dinah Shore Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Victor D6VB-1765 10-in. 5/3/1946 Drifting and dreaming (sweet paradise) Vaughn Monroe ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Victor PD6VB-2570 10-in. 8/1/1946 Santa Claus is comin' to town Perry Como ; Russ Case Orchestra ; The Satisfiers Male vocal solo, with vocal group and instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Victor D7VB-0169 10-in. 2/24/1947 You go to my head Leslie Scott Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Victor D9VB-0141 10-in. 1/25/1949 My bashful Nashville gal from Tennessee Buddy Moreno Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Victor D9VB-0778 10-in. 11/9/1949 The old master painter Phil Harris Orchestra Male vocal solo, with vocal chorus and instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Victor D9VB-1447 10-in. 5/10/1949 Santa Claus is comin' to town Three Suns Instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Victor D9VB-1489 10-in. 5/16/1949 That lucky old sun (just rolls around heaven all day) Moon Men ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra Male vocal solo, with male vocal group and jazz/dance band lyricist  
Columbia 78425 10-in. 5/15/1919 I'm getting tired of playing second fiddle Billy Murray Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
(Results 51-75 of 210 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gillespie, Haven," accessed December 12, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106488.

Gillespie, Haven. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 12, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106488.

"Gillespie, Haven." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 12 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106488

External Sources

Wikipedia: Haven Gillespie

Discogs: Haven Gillespie

Allmusic: Haven Gillespie

IMSLP: Haven Gillespie

IMDb: Haven Gillespie

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Gillespie, Haven, 1888-1975 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n92014471

Wikidata: Haven Gillespie - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q3783706

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/61815541

MusicBrainz: Haven Gillespie - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/d0693759-d13d-4661-871d-0eb8500acecc

Fast: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/299198 - http://id.worldcat.org/fast/299198

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